METHODS TO DISCOVER, CONFIGURE, AND LEVERAGE RELATIONSHIPS IN INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) NETWORKS

• US 20140244834A1
• Filed: 02/21/2014
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: GUEDALIA, Isaac David, GUEDALIA, Jacob, CHANDHOK, Ravinder Paul, GLICKFIELD, Sarah
• Granted Patent: US 9,900,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/043 Distributed expert systems; Blackboards
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The disclosure generally relates to various methods to discover, configure, and leverage relationships in Internet of Things (IoT) networks. More particularly, the methods disclosed herein may support automated processes to create configurable sub-divisions and access controls in an IoT network based on usage associated with objects that are registered in the IoT network and interactions among the registered objects. Furthermore, in one embodiment, relationships between IoT devices that belong to different users may be implicitly discovered and/or ranked based on meetings (e.g., interactions) between the IoT devices, and relationships between the different users may likewise be implicitly discovered and/or ranked. Moreover, locations and interactions associated with IoT devices may be tracked over time to further discover user-specific and potentially asymmetric relationships among the IoT devices and/or the users associated therewith (e.g., where one user considers another user a close friend and the other user considers the first user an acquaintance).

Claims

1. A method for discovering, configuring, and leveraging relationships in Internet of Things (IoT) networks, comprising:

registering one or more objects into an IoT network; and

forming the one or more registered objects into one or more IoT groups according to usage associated with the one or more registered objects and interactions among the one or more registered objects.

2. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more user commands that control access to the one or more IoT groups.

3. The method recited in claim 2, further comprising:

dividing the one or more IoT groups into one or more subsets according to the usage associated with the one or more registered objects and the interactions among the one or more registered objects.

4. The method recited in claim 3, further comprising:

receiving one or more user commands that control access to the one or more subsets.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more registered objects include at least one non-communicating physical object and at least one communicating IoT device that stores information relating to the usage and the interactions associated therewith in a local database.

6. The method recited in claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, from the at least one communicating IoT device, the information relating to the usage and the interactions associated therewith; and

deriving information relating to the usage and the interactions associated with the non-communicating physical object based on the information received from the at least one communicating IoT device in response to the interactions associated with the communicating IoT device include at least one interaction between the communicating IoT device and the non-communicating physical object.

7. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more use commands to customize the one or more IoT groups.

8. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the interactions among the one or more registered objects include at least one interaction between a first IoT device and a second IoT device, and wherein the method further comprises:

assigning a rank to a relationship between the first IoT device and the second IoT device based on one or more attributes associated with the at least one interaction and one or more attributes associated with the second IoT device;

determining whether to grant the second IoT device access to the first IoT device based on the ranked relationship between the first IoT device and the second IoT device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether to update the rank assigned to the relationship between the first IoT device and the second IoT device in response to determining that one or more previous interactions have occurred between the first IoT device and the second IoT device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

updating the rank assigned to the relationship between the first IoT device and the second IoT device based on the one or more attributes associated with the at least one interaction, the one or more attributes associated with the second IoT device, and one or more attributes associated with the one or more previous interactions.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first IoT device belongs to a first user and the second IoT device belong to a second user.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether to grant the second IoT device access to another IoT device that belongs to the first user based on the rank assigned to the relationship between the first IoT device and the second IoT device.

13. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the interactions among the one or more registered objects include at least one interaction between a first IoT device that belongs to a first user and a second IoT device that belongs to a second user, and wherein the method further comprises:

storing information related to the at least one interaction in a first interaction table associated with the first IoT device; and

assigning a relationship identifier to the second user associated with the second IoT device based, at least in part, on the information stored in the first interaction table.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one interaction occurs while the first IoT device and the second IoT device are located in proximity to each other.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first IoT device detects the at least one interaction in response to detecting the second IoT device in proximity thereto.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein a server detects the at least one interaction based on location information related to the at least one interaction that the server receives from the first IoT device and the second IoT device.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

adding the relationship identifier to an entry associated with the second user in the first interaction table.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the relationship identifier reflects multiple interactions between one or more IoT devices associated with the first user and one or more IoT devices associated with the second user.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the multiple interactions comprise one or more of interactions that occur within a threshold time period, interactions that occur at substantially the same time, interactions that occur at substantially the same location, interactions that have a threshold duration, interactions that have a threshold frequency, or interactions that have substantially the same type.

20. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

tracking interactions among multiple IoT devices and locations where the tracked interactions occurred, wherein the multiple IoT devices are associated with at least a first user and a second user and the tracked interactions include at least one of the interactions among the one or more registered objects in the IoT network; and

discovering at least one asymmetric relationship between the first user and the second user based on the tracked interactions and the locations associated therewith.

21. The method recited in claim 20, wherein the asymmetric relationship indicates that a first relationship that the first user has with the second user differs from a second relationship that the second user has with the first user.

22. The method recited in claim 20, wherein the tracked locations indicate whether the tracked interactions occurred at a personal space that the first user owns or a personal space that the second user owns.

23. The method recited in claim 22, wherein the tracked locations further indicate that the first user appears in the personal space that the second user owns at a first frequency and that the second user appears in the personal space that the first user owns at a second frequency that differs from the first frequency.

24. The method recited in claim 20, wherein discovering the at least one asymmetric relationship between the first user and the second user comprises:

processing data associated with the tracked interactions that occurred during a predefined time period.

25. The method recited in claim 24, wherein discovering the at least one asymmetric relationship between the first user and the second user further comprises:

processing data associated with one or more previously determined relationships between the first user and the second user in combination with the tracked interactions that occurred during the predefined time period.

26. The method recited in claim 20, wherein discovering the at least one asymmetric relationship between the first user and the second user comprises:

clustering data associated with the tracked interactions and the locations where the tracked interactions occurred into one or more dominant groups;

deriving a cluster representation specific to the first user and a cluster representation specific to the second user from the one or more dominant groups; and

determining the at least one asymmetric relationship based on similarities or dissimilarities between the cluster representation specific to the first user and the cluster representation specific to the second user.

27. The method recited in claim 20, wherein discovering the at least one asymmetric relationship between the first user and the second user further comprises:

displaying data associated with the cluster representation specific to the first user and the cluster representation specific to the second user according to the locations where the tracked interactions occurred.

28. The method recited in claim 20, wherein a server tracks the interactions among the multiple IoT devices and the locations where the tracked interactions occurred to discover the at least one asymmetric relationship between the first user and the second user.

29. An apparatus, comprising:

means for registering one or more objects into an IoT network; and

means for forming the one or more registered objects into one or more IoT groups according to usage associated with the one or more registered objects and interactions among the one or more registered objects.

30. The apparatus recited in claim 29, further comprising:

dividing the one or more IoT groups into one or more subsets according to the usage associated with the one or more registered objects and the interactions among the one or more registered objects.

31. The apparatus recited in claim 30, further comprising:

means for receiving one or more user commands that control access to the one or more IoT groups and the one or more subsets associated therewith; and

means for receiving one or more user commands to customize the one or more IoT groups and the one or more subsets associated therewith.

32. The apparatus recited in claim 29, further comprising:

means for receiving, from at least a first IoT device among the one or more registered objects that has communication capabilities, information relating to the usage and interactions associated with the first IoT device; and

means for deriving information relating to the usage and interactions associated with at least a second IoT device among the one or more registered objects that does not have communication capabilities based on the information received from the first IoT device in response to the interactions associated with the first IoT device including at least one interaction between the first IoT device and the second IoT device.

33. The apparatus recited in claim 29, further comprising:

means for assigning a rank to a relationship between a first IoT device among the one or more registered objects and a second IoT device among the one or more registered objects based on one or more attributes associated with at least one interaction between the first IoT device and the second IoT device and one or more attributes associated with the second IoT device; and

means for determining whether to grant the second IoT device access to the first IoT device based on the ranked relationship between the first IoT device and the second IoT device.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising:

means for updating the rank assigned to the relationship between the first IoT device and the second IoT device based on the one or more attributes associated with the at least one interaction, the one or more attributes associated with the second IoT device, and one or more attributes associated with one or more previous interactions that have occurred between the first IoT device and the second IoT device.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the first IoT device belongs to a first user and the second IoT device belong to a second user, and wherein the means for determining whether to grant the second IoT device access is further configured to determine whether to grant the second IoT device access to a third IoT device that belongs to the first user based on the rank assigned to the relationship between the first IoT device and the second IoT device.

36. The apparatus recited in claim 29, wherein the interactions among the one or more registered objects include at least one interaction between a first IoT device that belongs to a first user and a second IoT device that belongs to a second user, and wherein the apparatus further comprises:

means for assigning a relationship identifier between the first user and the second user based, at least in part, on information related to the at least one interaction.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the relationship identifier reflects multiple interactions between one or more IoT devices associated with the first user and one or more IoT devices associated with the second user.

38. The apparatus recited in claim 29, further comprising:

means for tracking interactions among multiple IoT devices and locations where the tracked interactions occurred, wherein the multiple IoT devices are associated with at least a first user and a second user and the tracked interactions include at least one of the interactions among the one or more registered objects in the IoT network; and

means for discovering at least one asymmetric relationship between the first user and the second user based on the tracked interactions and the locations associated therewith.

39. The apparatus recited in claim 38, wherein the asymmetric relationship indicates that a first relationship that the first user has with the second user differs from a second relationship that the second user has with the first user.

40. The apparatus recited in claim 39, wherein the tracked locations indicate that the first user appears in a personal space that the second user owns at a first frequency and that the second user appears in a personal space that the first user owns at a second frequency that differs from the first frequency.

41. The apparatus recited in claim 38, wherein the at least one asymmetric relationship between the first user and the second user is discovered based on data associated with the tracked interactions that occurred during a predefined time period.

42. The apparatus recited in claim 41, wherein the at least one asymmetric relationship between the first user and the second user is further discovered based on one or more previously determined relationships between the first user and the second user in combination with the tracked interactions that occurred during the predefined time period.

43. The apparatus recited in claim 38, wherein the means for discovering the at least one asymmetric relationship between the first user and the second user comprises:

means for clustering data associated with the tracked interactions and the locations where the tracked interactions occurred into one or more dominant groups;

means for deriving a cluster representation specific to the first user and a cluster representation specific to the second user from the one or more dominant groups; and

means for determining the at least one asymmetric relationship based on similarities or dissimilarities between the cluster representation specific to the first user and the cluster representation specific to the second user.

44. The apparatus recited in claim 38, further comprising:

means for displaying data associated with the cluster representation specific to the first user and the cluster representation specific to the second user according to the locations where the tracked interactions occurred.

45. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions recorded thereon, wherein executing the computer-executable instructions on one or more processors causes the one or more processors to:

register one or more objects into an IoT network; and

form the one or more registered objects into one or more IoT groups according to usage associated with the one or more registered objects and interactions among the one or more registered objects.

46. The apparatus recited in claim 45, further comprising:

dividing the one or more IoT groups into one or more subsets according to the usage associated with the one or more registered objects and the interactions among the one or more registered objects.

47. The apparatus recited in claim 46, further comprising:

receive one or more user commands that control access to the one or more IoT groups and the one or more subsets associated therewith; and

receive one or more user commands to customize the one or more IoT groups and the one or more subsets associated therewith.

48. The apparatus recited in claim 45, further comprising:

receive, from at least a first IoT device among the one or more registered objects that has communication capabilities, information relating to the usage and interactions associated with the first IoT device; and

derive information relating to the usage and interactions associated with at least a second IoT device among the one or more registered objects that does not have communication capabilities based on the information received from the first IoT device in response to the interactions associated with the first IoT device including at least one interaction between the first IoT device and the second IoT device.

49. The apparatus recited in claim 45, further comprising:

assign a rank to a relationship between a first IoT device among the one or more registered objects and a second IoT device among the one or more registered objects based on one or more attributes associated with at least one interaction between the first IoT device and the second IoT device and one or more attributes associated with the second IoT device; and

determine whether to grant the second IoT device access to the first IoT device based on the ranked relationship between the first IoT device and the second IoT device.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, further comprising:

update the rank assigned to the relationship between the first IoT device and the second IoT device based on the one or more attributes associated with the at least one interaction, the one or more attributes associated with the second IoT device, and one or more attributes associated with one or more previous interactions that have occurred between the first IoT device and the second IoT device.

51. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the first IoT device belongs to a first user and the second IoT device belong to a second user, and wherein the means for determining whether to grant the second IoT device access is further configured to determine whether to grant the second IoT device access to a third IoT device that belongs to the first user based on the rank assigned to the relationship between the first IoT device and the second IoT device.

52. The apparatus recited in claim 45, wherein the interactions among the one or more registered objects include at least one interaction between a first IoT device that belongs to a first user and a second IoT device that belongs to a second user, and wherein the apparatus further comprises:

assign a relationship identifier between the first user and the second user based, at least in part, on information related to the at least one interaction.

53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the relationship identifier reflects multiple interactions between one or more IoT devices associated with the first user and one or more IoT devices associated with the second user.

54. The apparatus recited in claim 45, further comprising:

track interactions among multiple IoT devices and locations where the tracked interactions occurred, wherein the multiple IoT devices are associated with at least a first user and a second user and the tracked interactions include at least one of the interactions among the one or more registered objects in the IoT network; and

discover at least one asymmetric relationship between the first user and the second user based on the tracked interactions and the locations associated therewith.

55. The apparatus recited in claim 54, wherein the asymmetric relationship indicates that a first relationship that the first user has with the second user differs from a second relationship that the second user has with the first user.

56. The apparatus recited in claim 55, wherein the tracked locations indicate that the first user appears in a personal space that the second user owns at a first frequency and that the second user appears in a personal space that the first user owns at a second frequency that differs from the first frequency.

57. The apparatus recited in claim 54, wherein the at least one asymmetric relationship between the first user and the second user is discovered based on data associated with the tracked interactions that occurred during a predefined time period.

58. The apparatus recited in claim 57, wherein the at least one asymmetric relationship between the first user and the second user is further discovered based on one or more previously determined relationships between the first user and the second user in combination with the tracked interactions that occurred during the predefined time period.

59. The apparatus recited in claim 54, wherein the means for discovering the at least one asymmetric relationship between the first user and the second user comprises:

cluster data associated with the tracked interactions and the locations where the tracked interactions occurred into one or more dominant groups;

derive a cluster representation specific to the first user and a cluster representation specific to the second user from the one or more dominant groups; and

determine the at least one asymmetric relationship based on similarities or dissimilarities between the cluster representation specific to the first user and the cluster representation specific to the second user.

60. The apparatus recited in claim 54, further comprising:

display data associated with the cluster representation specific to the first user and the cluster representation specific to the second user according to the locations where the tracked interactions occurred.